December 17, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New MS Drug Shows ‘Excellent Profile’ in Preclinical Tests Against Approved Therapy Akaal Pharma, a developer of small molecule drugs for the treatment of inflammation and autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), recently announced highly positive preclinical trial results on the safety and efficacy of its drug candidate AKP-11 when compared to Gilenya (fingolimod, FTY-720), an oral MS drug approved by…
December 16, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Physical Therapy in Need of Proper Study, Experts Say The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ announced that a panel of expertsĀ led a comprehensive review of 142 published studies addressing rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS), and found evidence suggesting that weekly in-home or outpatient physical therapy offers benefits ā but, mostly, it found a lack of well-designed studies into…
December 16, 2015 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD MS May Be Triggered by the Death of Brain Cells Researchers are proposing for a first timeĀ thatĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) is triggered by the death of a specific cell population within the central nervous system called oligodendrocytes. The study, titled āOligodendrocyte death results in immune-mediated CNS demyelination,ā was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Oligodendrocytes,…
December 15, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Potential Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Seen in Addex’s mGluR4 Modulator Addex Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule allosteric modulators for neurological disorders, recently announced the publication of positive results from studies evaluating the therapeutic effect of ADX88178, a metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4)Ā modulator, in an animal model of multiple sclerosis. The research article, titled āAllosteric modulation…
December 15, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Nerve Degeneration Triggered by Chain Reaction in Cells Researchers in theĀ United Kingdom recently discoveredĀ that a small molecule triggers the destruction of axons, a phenomenon observed in neurodegenerative diseases likeĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The study is titled āWallerian Degeneration Is Executed by an NMN-SARM1-Dependent Late Ca2+ Influx but Only Modestly Influenced by Mitochondriaā and appears inĀ the journal…
December 14, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 2 New Treatments for Relapsing-Remitting MS Now Available in New Zealand The Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand (MSNZ)Ā announced thatĀ PHARMAC has agreed with its requestĀ toĀ finance two novel first-in-line therapies for relapsing-remitting forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), making them accessible to patients there. PHARMAC recently agreed to fund theĀ two treatments, teriflunomide (Aubagio), supplied by Sanofi-Aventis NZ, and dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera),…
December 14, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 2016 Multiple Sclerosis Forum to Focus on Distinctions in Disease Forms Dr. Jerry S. WolinskyĀ ofĀ the University of Texas in Houston, will giveĀ the first Kenneth P. Johnson Memorial Lecture at the opening day of the Americas Committee for the Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2016 in New Orleans, focusing on distinctions between relapsing and progressive disease forms. ACTRIMS…
December 11, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Study Recruiting MS Patients to Assess Exercise and Behavioral Therapy Dr. Bradley Bowser, a South Dakota State University (SDSU) researcher and assistant professor, is investigating whether the practice of exercise, either by itself or together with cognitive behavioral therapy, can effectively improve mobility and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a neurodegenerative condition that oftenĀ induces…
December 11, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Cellular ‘On-Off’ Switch May Activate MS Inflammatory Response In a new study, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical CenterĀ inĀ Texas and The Scripps Research Institute in California discovered that the enzyme NEK7, vital to cell division, plays a crucial role in the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, essential to the onset of inflammation. This discovery mayĀ have a significant impact…
December 10, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD In Multiple Sclerosis Study, Vitamin D Shown to Aid Myelin Repair A new study in the Journal of Cell BiologyĀ suggestsĀ that vitamin D activates a receptor involved in myelin regeneration in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, entitled āVitamin D receptorāretinoid X receptor heterodimer signaling regulates oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation,ā and was led by researchers…
December 10, 2015 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Potential MS Biomarker Seen in Adipose Tissue Secretion In a new study titled āAdipsin Is Associated with Multiple Sclerosis: A Follow-Up Study of Adipokines,ā researchers report a correlation between an adipokine called adipsin and the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study was published in the Multiple Sclerosis International journal. Obese adolescents…
December 8, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Therapy Aims to Slow Brain Inflammation with Fewer Side Effects A research team from the University of Alberta, Canada, is exploring a new therapeutic way ofĀ reducing brain inflammation inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with fewer side effects. The study, titled āGranzyme B-inhibitor serpina3n induces neuroprotection in vitro and in vivo,ā appearedĀ in the Journal of Neuroinflammation. Most available…
December 8, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Researchers at Japanese Hospital to Use Novel MRI Technology Juntendo University Hospital, the first medical school in Japan to adopt Western medicine, recently signed a research agreement withĀ SyntheticMRĀ to employ the companyās SyMRI technology in clinical research projects at the hospital involving patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or brain tumor metastases.Ā Ā SyntheticMRĀ isĀ a Swedish company developing and commercializing software…
December 7, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Tips for Managing Multiple Sclerosis During the Holidays TheĀ holidays can be stressful on everyone, andĀ especially onĀ those with multiple sclerosis (MS). A health specialist is offering theseĀ eightĀ suggestionsĀ to MS patients and their families as a way to enjoy this season, and to keep it as free as possible of disease flares or symptom worsening. Increased demands on daily routines, travel,…
December 7, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Now Available in Japan Takeda Pharmaceutical, a pharmaceutical company based in Osaka, Japan, recently announcedĀ that a widely approved drug treatment forĀ the prevention of relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā is nowĀ available in Japan as well. Copaxone,Ā (glatiramer acetate; 20 mg daily subcutaneous injection), developed by Teva Pharmaceuticals, is an immunomodulatory drug designed toĀ act as…
December 4, 2015 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Some RRMS and SPMS Patients Share a Similar Gene Expression in Response to IFN Treatment In a new study entitled āTranscriptional response to interferon beta-1a treatment in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis,ā a team of researchers discovered a subgroup of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients (SPMS) exhibiting the same gene expression response to interferon (IFN) treatment as patients with relapsing-remitting MS…
December 4, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Brickell Biotech Targeting MS and Other Autoimmune Diseases Brickell Biotech, Inc., a pharmaceutical company developingĀ novel therapies in the field of dermatology, recently announced it has exclusive worldwide rights over a series of new, retinoic acid-related orphan nuclear receptor gamma (RORy) inhibitors from the New York University (NYU) and Orca Pharmaceuticals.Ā As part of the agreement, Brickell will be…
December 3, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD RRMS Clinical Study of New Antibiotic Therapy Nearing End RedHill Biopharma, Ltd., recently announced the conclusion of the last dosing and patient follow-up visit for its Phase 2a proof-of-concept study to assess the efficacy and safety of the experimental drug RHB-104 as an add-on therapy to interferon beta-1a in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
December 3, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Society of Canada Helps Fund Pediatric Study of Gut Bacteria The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and the Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation recently announced the funding of new research on pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and on the role played by the gut microbiome in brain and autoimmune diseases. Although onlyĀ around 5% of all newly diagnosed MS cases…
December 2, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Researchers Gather in Texas to Share Findings, Advance Ideas The Fifth Tykeson Fellows ConferenceĀ broughtĀ senior multiple sclerosis (MS) scientists together with nearly 100Ā young research and clinical fellows from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS Society of Canada, and MS International Federation to promote collaboration, networking, and the sharing of research data with the goal of improving patientsā lives and developing…
December 2, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Experimental Relapsing-Remitting MS Drug Treatment Advancing Synthetic Biologics, which specializes in the development of therapies forĀ pathogen-specific diseases, recently announced theĀ publication of new and positive data on results from a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the companyās product Trimestaā¢ as a treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in women. Professor Rhonda Voskuhl, director of theĀ Multiple Sclerosis Program…
December 1, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Multiple Sclerosis-like Disorder Blocked in Mice Study Researchers demonstrated a processĀ that prevented an induced autoimmune disease from taking hold in the central nervous system of mice, and think it has the potential of being translated into a multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy. The study detailing the method and its promising results is entitled āInfusion of Sulfosuccinimidyl-4-[N-maleimidomethyl]cyclohexane-1-carboxylate-Conjugated MOG35ā55-Coupled…
December 1, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD National Multiple Sclerosis Society Awards Wisconsin Researcher With Grant To Fuel Promising Study The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ awarded a $700,000 research grant to Dr. Bonnie Dittel, a senior investigator at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin (BCW) and adjunct professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The grant will help Dr. Dittel advance her research into how specific immune cells in the body can…
November 30, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD People with Relapsing NMOD Invited to Enter Phase 3 Study The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recently announced that a research team is recruiting 132 patients with a diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) for a Phase 3 clinical study comparing an experimental medicine with an inactive placebo. NMOSD is a rare disorder caused by immune system cells attacking…
November 30, 2015 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Pomegranate Seed Oil May Be Therapy for MS Disease and Its Progression In a recent study,Ā researchers show how a natural antioxidant within pomegranate seeds is capable of inhibiting demyelination in a mouse model for multiple sclerosis (MS), supporting novel formulations of natural antioxidants as therapeutics for demyelinating diseases. The study,Ā āTreatment of a multiple sclerosis animal model by a novelĀ nano dropĀ formulation of…
November 25, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD APF Scholarship Goes to Study of Stigma and Depression in MS Ms. Margaret Cadden, a Pennsylvania State University doctoral student in Clinical Psychology, has been selected by theĀ American Psychological Foundation (APF)Ā as the recipient of theĀ 2015 APF Scott and Paul Pearsall Scholarship prize of $10,000. The scholarship will be used to researchĀ depression, stigma, and disease progression in individuals with varying…
November 25, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Opexa Therapeutics’ MS Therapy Selected as ‘Top Project to Watch’ Opexa TherapeuticsĀ announced that it has been named one of theĀ āTop Projects to WatchāĀ for the third consecutive year. A panel of independent experts recognized the biopharmaceutical company for its work in the development of personalized immunotherapies for autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO). Opexa was…
November 24, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Society Funds 3 New Investigations into Symptom Management TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS Society)Ā in the U.K. recently announcedĀ awards targeted towardsĀ new MS research. In total, 16 projects carefully selected by both a panel of experts and patients living with MS will share MS Society 2015 funding grants amounting toĀ Ā£1,979,879. All projects fulfilled the requirements of high scientific…
November 24, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Patients on Salt-heavy Diets Risk Inflammation Findings from two studies, recently published in theĀ Journal of Clinical Investigation, indicate that high levels of salt alter the stability of the immune system and make it more susceptible to inflammation. The studies, which were led by Dr. David Hafler from Yale University and Dr. Dominik…
November 23, 2015 News by admin Multiple Sclerosis Patients Show Improved Reactions with Treadmill Exercise Several studies have shown that exercise can improve movement in multiple sclerosis (MS), but new researchĀ indicates that it specifically may also Ā improve reaction time, a measurement of cognitive impairment. The study, titled “Acute effects of varying intensities of treadmill walking exercise on inhibitory control in persons with…